Department for Transport

Railways and Roads: Finance

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the funding allocation in the 2020 Spending Review for (1) enhancements and (2) new works, in the next five years for (a) Network Rail, (b) HS2, and c) Highways England; and for each (i) when such enhancements or works are planned to be complete for the use of the public, and (ii) how such enhancements or works contribute to the net-zero carbon emissions target.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport received a significant multi-year settlement as a result of last month’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR 20), including funding for our major rail and road programmes, underlining this Government’s commitment to long term investment in infrastructure. The responses to points (1) and (2), are summarised in the table below. For reasons of clarity (as there is potential overlap between 'enhancements' and 'new works'), we have defined “enhancements” as works to increase the capacity of the transport network, and “renewals” as works which replace existing infrastructure with modern equivalent. Network RailHigh Speed Rail (HS) 2Highways England (RIS2)Enhancements£17.5bn (in respect of both Enhancements and Renewals)£22.6bn£13bnRenewalsN/A (this programme is identified as an enhancement)£5bn With regards to completion dates, taken together these programmes represent a wide range of individual projects and milestones. In respect of HS2 Phase One, the Delivery into Service (DIS) range for initial services from Old Oak Common to Birmingham Curzon Street remains 2029 to 2033. The range for initial opening of services from Euston remains 2031-2036, subject to further work on the study of design and delivery options. Network Rail’s operations, maintenance and renewals budgets have not been changed as a result of Spending Review 2020 and workbanks will continue to be based on the five-year regulatory funding settlement for 2019-2024. The Spending Review confirmed that the Government will continue to support the railway, investing in ambitious improvements to modernise the rail network. In terms of impacts on individual schemes, it remains the case that no schemes have been cancelled nor formal investment decisions taken as a result of the Spending Review. We are currently working with Network Rail and Ministers to agree a new baseline for the portfolio that fits with the new funding envelope. Furthermore, schemes will be regularly published as part of the enhancement delivery plan by Network Rail. Highways England published its Delivery Plan for RIS2 in August, setting out the planned “start of works” and “open for traffic” dates for each enhancement scheme. The Delivery Plan is available on the Highways England website. The Government is committed to building a transport network that is greener and fit for the future and we continue to look at ways to decarbonise our network in a way that makes best use of taxpayers’ funding.

Motorways: Publicity

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to launch a campaign to improve levels of public understanding of smart motorway rules.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Highways England is developing a nationally-targeted campaign to increase road user confidence on All Lane Running (ALR) motorways, including what to do in the event of a breakdown in a live lane. The campaign concept has been tested on a number of audiences. Stakeholders in the recovery and insurance industries have been engaged throughout the process and have helped to shape the campaign. Highways England is now in the production phase of the campaign, which will launch in January 2021. The campaign will be seen widely across the country including on TV, social media and national radio to ensure maximum reach amongst the target audience.

M6: Speed Limits

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the speed limit on the M6 motorway northbound from junction 21A to 26 is 60mph while the same stretch southbound is 50mph.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There are currently no speed restrictions in place on the M6 motorway from junction 21A to 26 other than the 70mph national speed limit.

Department for Transport: Expenditure

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whythey have reduced Network Rail’s enhancement budget for the current five year Control Period whilst increasing spending on trunk road schemes; and what assessment they have made of how such a change in spending will contribute to their net-zero carbon emissions target.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Spending Review confirmed increasing investment in rail infrastructure in England and Wales, committing over £40bn. This sees over £2 billion of funding confirmed in 2021-22 for rail services, building on the estimated £12.8 billion of support for transport services that the Government has already committed to provide in 2020-21. It remains the case that no schemes have been cancelled nor formal investment decisions taken as a result of the Spending Review. We are committed to building a railway that is greener and fit for the future and that is why we continue to look at ways to decarbonise our network in a way that makes best use of taxpayers funding. As part of this settlement we have committed to funding the Transpennine Route upgrade, including its full electrification.

Railways: Finance

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government which rail upgrade projects will be (1) cancelled, and (2) reduced in scope, as a result of the reduction inthe five year rail enhancements budget.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Spending Review confirmed that the Government will continue to support the railway, investing in ambitious improvements to modernise our railway. In terms of impacts on individual schemes, it remains the case that no schemes have been cancelled nor formal investment decisions taken as a result of the Spending Review. We are currently working with Network Rail and Ministers to agree a new baseline for the portfolio that fits with the new funding envelope.

Bicycles: Pedestrian Areas

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult on raising the penalties for cyclists and delivery drivers using heavyweight electric bicycles who (1) ride on the pavement, and (2) leave their bikes blocking the pavement, to (a) a fine of up to £5,000, and (b) six months imprisonment.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Her Majesty’s Government have no current plans to consult on raising the penalties for cyclists and delivery drivers using heavyweight electric bicycles who ride on the pavement, or leave their bikes blocking the pavement. In 2018 we consulted on creating new cycling offences for people whose cycling behaviour caused serious harm. The responses have been analysed and the government response will be issued in due course.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton 9 October (HL8505), what procedure was used to change the location of the Chiltern Tunnel North Portal at Frith Hill in South Heath on the HS2 Phase One line of route; and whether the move was authorised by a Transport and Works Act 1992 Order or another procedure.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in my written answer of 9 October, the location of the Chiltern Tunnel North Portal was changed by means of an Additional Provision (known as AP4) to the then HS2 Phase One Bill, introduced on 12 October 2015. The changes brought about by AP4 are part of the Phase One Act which subsequently received Royal Assent in 2017. The change does not therefore require a Transport and Works Act Order and none has been sought.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a Transport and Works Act 1992 Order can be used to grant a tunnel at Wendover for HS2.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Transport and Works Act Orders are one way of securing the necessary powers for railway infrastructure works. Other ways include securing a Development Consent Order, seeking local planning permission or setting out the intended works in dedicated primary legislation. The powers to construct HS2 are set out in primary legislation (the Phase One Act) and are permissive. If the Government were minded to deliver infrastructure which went beyond that permitted by the Phase One Act then a Transport and Works Act Order would be one way of securing the necessary powers. However, there are no plans to change the consented scheme at Wendover and this means that no new powers are being sought there.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Bromford

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current estimated cost of the tunnel proposal at Bromford on the HS2 Phase One route; and whether they expect that the Transport and Works Act 1992 Order procedure used for its construction will delay the introduction of HS2 Phase One services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The proposed tunnel extension at Bromford does not result in additional cost to the HS2 Phase One route. The changes to the civil works for the extension of the tunnel are estimated to result in a net saving of £70 million (base date 2018) compared to the original surface route. Additional consent for the tunnel extension is being sought via a Transport and Works Act Order. The design changes for the tunnel extension were initiated following contract award for the Main Works Civil Contractor in the area (BBV) in 2017 and public consultation on the proposed order has now completed. The current schedule for finalising the proposed order is not expected to have any adverse impact on the introduction of HS2 Phase One services.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the HS2 Phase One main works contractor for the section of the line past Wendover has produced an assessment of the Wendover Short Mined Tunnel Proposal and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The proposal for a short-mined tunnel at Wendover has not been formally assessed by the main works civil contractor for the area (EKFB). Following initial assessment by HS2 Ltd, the Government does not consider the proposal to be viable in value for money terms and judges any further assessment by contractors to not be an efficient use of taxpayers’ money. The contractor has however been consulted and engaged on the proposals in order to inform the content of Ministerial correspondence on this issue.

Department of Health and Social Care

Gender Recognition: Children

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the High Court judgment in R (on the application of) Quincy Bell and A -v- Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust and others [2020] EWHC 3274, issued on 1 December, what plans they have, if any, (1) to close the Tavistock Clinic, and (2) to instigate a criminal inquiry into its practices.

Lord Bethell: There are no plans to close the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust’s gender identity service for children and young people and we are not aware of any plans to instigate criminal proceedings.NHS England has previously announced that Dr Hilary Cass will undertake an independent external review of the gender identity development service and make recommendations to NHS England on how the service should operate.

Respiratory System: Health Services

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that funding is provided so that the respiratory commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan can be delivered in full.

Lord Bethell: The National Respiratory Programme is a sub-programme of the wider Cardiovascular Disease and Respiratory programme. The Cardiovascular Disease and Respiratory Programme was allocated NHS Long Term Plan funding as follows:- 2019/20 - £8.4 million- 2020/21 - £15 million

Life Expectancy

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Bethell on 1 December (HL Deb, cols 717–21), what assessment they have made of the life expectancy of people dying from COVID-19 compared with those dying from other illnesses.

Lord Bethell: Data are not available to estimate the life expectancy of people who are dying from COVID-19 or dying from other illnesses.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Baroness Noakes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of nosocomial infection rates for SARS-COV2 throughout 2020 in (1) England, and (2) the UK.

Baroness Noakes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their current estimate of the rate of nosocomial infectionfor SARS-COV2 in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.

Lord Bethell: Information on the estimated nosocomial infection rate for COVID-19 throughout 2020 in England is not available. Data is collected on the time between admission to hospital and the first positive swab for COVID-19, as part of a daily COVID-19 sitrep. The sitrep data collection began on 20 May 2020 and does not therefore cover the full pandemic.Due to health systems being devolved in the United Kingdom, the Government does not have data on nosocomial infection rates for the other UK nations.

Department for Education

Confucius Institutes

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many branches of the Confucius Institute are active in universities in England; and what plansthey have to determine how many universities in England give financial support to branches of the Confucius Institute.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: A number of UK higher education providers host Confucius Institutes. As autonomous, independent organisations, they bear the responsibility of ensuring that their partnerships are managed appropriately, with the right due diligence. The Department for Education does not collate information on the funding arrangements for Confucius Institutes, but continues to support the higher education sector to promote mutually beneficial international partnerships and UK values. We encourage providers to contact the department if they have any concerns regarding their international collaborations.

Students: Loans

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loans were taken out by students aged between 18 and 24 studying for (1) Higher National Certificates, and (2) Higher National Diplomas, for the years (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020; and how many of these students also took out maintenance loans.

Lord Baker of Dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average value of (1) fee loans, and (2) maintenance loans, taken out in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, and (d) 2020, by 18 to 24-year-old students studying for (i) Higher National Certificates, and (ii) Higher National Diplomas.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government recently outlined reforms which aim to increase the take-up of high-quality higher technical qualifications. We have introduced a new approval scheme to show which higher technical qualifications meet employers’ skills needs, and we will support providers in this area and improve information, advice, and guidance for learners and employers alike.Table 1, attached, details management information from the Student Loans Company (SLC) on the average value of loans taken out by 18 to 24-year-old students (as of 1 September in the relevant year) studying for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND). It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.Students are around four months into the 2020/21 academic year; as such, the number of students and average loan amounts are subject to change. Comparable figures for 2020/21 will be available after the end of the academic year.The figures in Table 1 have been rounded to the nearest pound.Table 2, attached, details SLC management information on the number of 18 to 24-year-old students in receipt of a loan (broken down by tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and studying for a HNC or HND. It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.Students may take out a maintenance loan, a tuition fee loan, or both. Therefore, the average overall loan per academic year for HNCs or HNDs will not be the sum of the average loan for each product. Similarly, the total number of students taking out loans for HNCs or HNDs is not equal to the number in receipt of each loan product.HL11268_HL11269_table (pdf, 35.9KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Education: Overseas Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the provision of aidfor the education of boys and young men overseas is conditional upon the inclusion of teaching on the importance of respect and understanding for girls and women.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to standing up for the right of every girl to access 12 years of quality education. Girls' education matters because it is one of the greatest tools for addressing discrimination against women and girls. It initiates a virtuous circle, giving women and girls a greater voice to advocate for changes in their own lives and the lives of others. Between 2015 and 2019 the UK supported 14.3 million children to gain a decent education, of which at least 5.8 million were girls.Through its programmes, the FCDO works with whole communities, including boys and men, to change their attitudes and behaviours towards girls and women. However, gender bias and discrimination is widespread within and across education systems, from teacher recruitment and training to curriculum and material development, to gender-based violence in and around schools. FCDO staff ensure that the teaching and learning materials we fund are inclusive and reflect gender equality. Staff do this by working closely with experts to develop gender-friendly materials with strong role models, ensuring that text and visuals are independently quality assured and vetted, supporting inclusive and learner-focused teaching methods and funding student clubs that facilitate discussions around gender equality.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Brexit

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to begin negotiations on a fully-revised free trade agreement in the case of each continuity agreement they have reached in preparation for the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: In under two years, HM Government has signed or agreed in principle trade agreements with 58 countries. Total United Kingdom trade with these countries was worth £198 billion in 2019.Beyond the end of the transition period, the United Kingdom continues to have an ambitious Free Trade Agreement programme. We will continue to progress our negotiations with the USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as prepare for our accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We will also look to refresh a number of previously signed or agreed in principle trade agreements, where we are legally obliged to do so. This will help ensure we have deals that are specific to United Kingdom trading interests.We will need to consider the timing of these agreements alongside a suite of other policy initiatives.

Service Industries: Overseas Trade

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the objectives of their trade in services strategy are, beyond those regarding exports; and how they plan for those objectives to be delivered through (1) bilateral trade negotiations, and (2) plurilateral and multilateral dialogue at international institutions.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: As the world’s second largest exporter of services, it is in the British national interest to champion greater services liberalisation globally, now we have left the EU. We will use our independent trade policy to tackle barriers to trade in services and ensure open, fair market access overseas for British businesses. We will negotiate best-in-class rules for all services sectors, as well as sector specific rules for key export sectors such as financial services, professional and business services, telecommunications and transport services. We aim to secure certainty and predictability for British services exporters overseas, along with transparency on services regulation internationally. We want to secure opportunities for British services suppliers and investors to operate overseas through provisions for temporary business travel and supporting the recognition of professional qualifications. At the same time, we will make sure that decisions about how public services, including the NHS, are delivered are made by HM Government (or the devolved administrations, as appropriate). We will do this through multilateral or plurilateral engagement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), such as the Joint Initiatives on e-commerce and domestic regulation, and by negotiating ambitious services chapters into new free trade agreements that benefit both British businesses and the British people.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Television: Disability Aids

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 9 December (HC Deb, col 840), what plans they have to set up a working party to take forward the Turn on the Subtitles campaign that includes representatives of (1) that campaign, (2) Government departments, and(3) children's programming broadcasters.

Baroness Barran: The government is engaging with the Turn On The Subtitles campaign and other stakeholders, including broadcasters, to consider the evidence on the costs and benefits of switching on subtitles by default. A decision on next steps will be made in due course.

Women and Equalities

Racial Discrimination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings from Race on the Agenda's survey, featured in Channel 5'sEveryday Racismprogramme on 25 November,on experiences of racism and, in particular, that 95 per cent of respondents identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic have faced racism or racial prejudice.

Baroness Berridge: This Government is committed to tackling racism and racial prejudice in all its forms. That is why the Prime Minister appointed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in July, to examine all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic disparities in Britain. The Commission aims to set out a new, positive agenda for change - balancing the needs of individuals, communities and society, maximising opportunities and ensuring fairness for all. It aims to report by the end of the year.